Mailing List Archive: Wikipedia and Wikimedia Software Prompt Solution to Problem Posed in 2000 by David Brin?

Wikipedia and Wikimedia Software Prompt Solution to Problem Posed in 2000 by David Brin?

Jul 29, 2006, 3:02 PM

Post #1 of 3 (451 views)

Hi All,

Some of you might find this article by David Brin (P,hd in Space Physics
& SciFi Author) interesting:
http://www.davidbrin.com/disputationarticle1.html

He outlines a top down design to try to use the Internet as a
collaborative discussion and thinking tool.

It seems to me that the Wikimedia software and various projects
utilizing some simple rules (NPOV, only one 32K article per subject or
title, comprehensive history of revision, and the ever evolving
community guidelines) allowed solutions meeting his basic criteria and
goals to self organize.

As a publicity drive or stunt we might consider inviting him to evaluate
how well Wikipedia or some other Wikimedia project meets his proposed
requirements for useful Internet sites on his website for his fans.

Perhaps a good time (considering that Wikipedia hardly needs publicity
drives considering its current success and maturity) would be after a
few months of Wikiversity's authorized operation makes it clear that
good ideas or material tends to float or stay on the current page of
learning/study activities there; just like the best material and
presentations drift to the current article or definition on Wikipedia
and Wiktionary.

I would be very interested in reactions or opinions why or why not
Wikipedia currently meets or does not meet his stated goals or criteria
for a "Disputation Arena".

regards,
lazyquasar
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Re: Wikipedia and Wikimedia Software Prompt Solution to Problem Posed in 2000 by David Brin? [ In reply to ]

gerard.meijssen at gmail

Jul 29, 2006, 10:11 PM

Post #2 of 3 (401 views)

Permalink

Hoi,
Two things:
* Wikipedia needs publicity badly. As long as many of our projects do
not cover encyclopaedic and other information well, there are MANY
projects that are in a genuine need for more contributors and also
readers. I am sure that the Neapolitan wikipedia would be thrilled to
bits to have 5 more regular contributors. It would grow the content a
lot and this in turn would increase the exposure of Neapolitan to many
people.
* Coding is done on LiquidThreads. This may help make a proposal like
yours interesting and relevant.. The publicity we could have: "hey guys,
we can still innovate".
Thanks,
GerardM

Michael R. Irwin wrote:
> Hi All,
>
> Some of you might find this article by David Brin (P,hd in Space Physics
> & SciFi Author) interesting:
> http://www.davidbrin.com/disputationarticle1.html
>
> He outlines a top down design to try to use the Internet as a
> collaborative discussion and thinking tool.
>
> It seems to me that the Wikimedia software and various projects
> utilizing some simple rules (NPOV, only one 32K article per subject or
> title, comprehensive history of revision, and the ever evolving
> community guidelines) allowed solutions meeting his basic criteria and
> goals to self organize.
>
> As a publicity drive or stunt we might consider inviting him to evaluate
> how well Wikipedia or some other Wikimedia project meets his proposed
> requirements for useful Internet sites on his website for his fans.
>
> Perhaps a good time (considering that Wikipedia hardly needs publicity
> drives considering its current success and maturity) would be after a
> few months of Wikiversity's authorized operation makes it clear that
> good ideas or material tends to float or stay on the current page of
> learning/study activities there; just like the best material and
> presentations drift to the current article or definition on Wikipedia
> and Wiktionary.
>
> I would be very interested in reactions or opinions why or why not
> Wikipedia currently meets or does not meet his stated goals or criteria
> for a "Disputation Arena".
>
> regards,
> lazyquasar

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Re: Wikipedia and Wikimedia Software Prompt Solution to Problem Posed in 2000 by David Brin? [ In reply to ]

jmerkey at wolfmountaingroup

Jul 29, 2006, 11:52 PM

Post #3 of 3 (402 views)

Permalink

Gerard Meijssen wrote:

>Hoi,
>Two things:
>* Wikipedia needs publicity badly. As long as many of our projects do
>not cover encyclopaedic and other information well, there are MANY
>projects that are in a genuine need for more contributors and also
>readers. I am sure that the Neapolitan wikipedia would be thrilled to
>bits to have 5 more regular contributors. It would grow the content a
>lot and this in turn would increase the exposure of Neapolitan to many
>people.
>* Coding is done on LiquidThreads. This may help make a proposal like
>yours interesting and relevant.. The publicity we could have: "hey guys,
>we can still innovate".
>Thanks,
> GerardM
>
>Michael R. Irwin wrote:
>
>
>>Hi All,
>>
>>Some of you might find this article by David Brin (P,hd in Space Physics
>>& SciFi Author) interesting:
>>http://www.davidbrin.com/disputationarticle1.html
>>
>>He outlines a top down design to try to use the Internet as a
>>collaborative discussion and thinking tool.
>>
>>It seems to me that the Wikimedia software and various projects
>>utilizing some simple rules (NPOV, only one 32K article per subject or
>>title, comprehensive history of revision, and the ever evolving
>>community guidelines) allowed solutions meeting his basic criteria and
>>goals to self organize.
>>
>>As a publicity drive or stunt we might consider inviting him to evaluate
>>how well Wikipedia or some other Wikimedia project meets his proposed
>>requirements for useful Internet sites on his website for his fans.
>>
>>Perhaps a good time (considering that Wikipedia hardly needs publicity
>>drives considering its current success and maturity) would be after a
>>few months of Wikiversity's authorized operation makes it clear that
>>good ideas or material tends to float or stay on the current page of
>>learning/study activities there; just like the best material and
>>presentations drift to the current article or definition on Wikipedia
>>and Wiktionary.
>>
>>I would be very interested in reactions or opinions why or why not
>>Wikipedia currently meets or does not meet his stated goals or criteria
>>for a "Disputation Arena".
>>
>>regards,
>>lazyquasar
>>
>>
>
>_______________________________________________
>foundation-l mailing list
>foundation-l@wikimedia.org
>http://mail.wikipedia.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-l
>
>
>
I might be able to arrange some anouncements from several tribes. These
would be a BIG deal and get the
attention of the Federal Government and Congress (though after the
Congressional Scandal and the abyssmal handling
of the whole congressional aide editing crap, I am not certain Congress
attention will be a good thing).

Wikipedia supporting Language Preservation programs is a huge deal.

Jeff
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